India’s ministry of steel has firmed up plans to bring in 1,000 more grades of steel and steel products under mandatory quality control orders (QCOs), in addition to the 1,376 products already covered under QCOs, thereby covering the entire steel product range, officials at the ministry said on Wednesday, March 26.
The officials said that the move is aimed at achieving the twin objectives of ensuring the quality of infrastructure and hardware manufactured in the country, and putting curbs on cheap imports that hit domestic producers across the steel value chain.
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) formulates standards for steel. The steel ministry issues QCOs, which mandate that only quality steel conforming to the relevant BIS standard notified under the QCOs is produced in the country and imported from outside.
No production, storage, trade, sales of any steel products are permitted if the respective products are under mandatory QCOs and violation of the orders attracts a fiscal penalty including imprisonment under the BIS Act.
Steel grades not yet covered by BIS standards are imported with a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the steel ministry.
On the deadline to cover the entire range of steel and steel products under QCOs, the officials said that the process could be completed within the next year.